TORONTO, Feb 1 (Reuters) - Canadian manufacturing activity
grew at a snail's pace in January, according to data released on
Friday that bolstered forecasts that the country's economy will
get off to a sluggish start in 2013.

The RBC Canadian Manufacturing Purchasing Managers' Index
was 50.5 last month after adjusting for seasonal variation,
compared with 50.4 in December, when the index matched its the
weakest reading since data collection began in October 2010.

The index was still dangerously close to contraction, but
held above the 50 mark that separates expansion from
deterioration.

"The Canadian manufacturing sector experienced a relatively
lackluster start to the new year amid ongoing global economic
uncertainty," Craig Wright, chief economist at Royal Bank of
Canada, said in a statement.

"As some of the more extreme downside risk scenarios look
less likely now, we should see confidence in the global economy
improve, paving the way for a stronger recovery in Canadian
manufacturing."
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